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About The Brisbane Institute for Strengths-based
Practice
An
information Sheet for Potential Partners
January 2008
The Brisbane Institute for Strengths based Practice is a
not-for profit, voluntary organisation made up of a wide
variety of professional people with many years
experience working in varied endeavours and human
service organisations. The range of experience to be
found within the Institute’s members currently includes
social work and community development, academic
expertise in the social sciences, accountancy,
disability support, graphic art, public sector
management, Indigenous cultural education, business
analysis and project management. This range of expertise
is extended through the various networks of each of the
Institute’s members.
The institute was incorporated in Brisbane in 2006. It
is an organisation of good will and all members donate
their time and skills to the institute and its projects
in addition to the paid work in which they are otherwise
engaged.
Purpose of the Institute
The Brisbane Institute of Strengths based Practice
(Inc) propagates, supports and encourages strengths
based human resource development and management
consulting, strengths based counselling, group and
community training activities and projects in the Asia
pacific region and elsewhere, through studies, visits,
conferences and workshops and major training events. Its
purpose is to promote individual and community
development through the practice and promotion of
various skills including:
·
Asset-based community development
·
Appreciative Enquiry
·
Strengths-based strategies
·
Strengths-focussed therapies
The Institute agrees and subscribes to the 10 foundation
tenets of People Development, utilised in their practice
by an Indian agency for community development called
Balavikasa. namely:
1.
Development is People
2.
Development is Women
3.
Development is Change of Attitude
4.
Development is Solidarity within the Group and
the Community
5.
Development is Iterative
6.
Development is Participatory
7.
Development is Intra-cultural
8.
Development is Long Term
9.
Development is Not Free
10.
Development Builds on Success and Credibility
The principle sphere of operation of the Brisbane
Institute is the Asia-Pacific region; however the
expertise of the Institute’s members may be deployed
anywhere in the world as necessary. Current or
identified areas of Brisbane Institute of
Strengths-based Practice activity include:
-
Sri Lanka
-
South India
-
Pakistan
-
Australia
-
Timor Leste (East Timor)
-
Vietnam
-
Bosnia
-
Croatia
-
Serbia
Modus Operandi
The various members of the Institute contribute their
personal and collective expertise and utilise their
extensive professional networks as necessary to carry
out particular projects. In addition, the Institute has
built collaborative relationships with various
international teaching institutes such as the National
Institute for Small Industry Extension Training (NISIET),
Hyderabad, and the Bala Vikasa Social Service Society
and aid agencies and programs, including Oxfam, AUSAID
and AYAD (Australian Youth Ambassadors Abroad).
Since the resources available to the Institute do not
reside with any one individual member of the
organisation, projects are undertaken in a collaborative
manner with joint ownership and pooling of available
resources. Therefore all potential projects are
discussed in detail and are endorsed by a sufficient
number of suitably qualified Institute members before
they may proceed.
Not all members of the Institute will directly engage
with all projects; however all projects must have more
than one sponsor and other members will contribute their
various skills as necessary.
Projects undertaken by the Institute are regularly
discussed and monitored by all members of the Institute
throughout the project’s life.
Types of projects which the Institute may undertake
There are various types of projects in which the
Institute may choose to become involved. These include:
·
Conferences about strengths-based strategies and
community development
·
Minor fund raising for small projects that promote
community development or resilience
·
Training in strengths-based strategies
·
Providing a secretariat function where other
institutions are collaborating in a community
development exercise
·
Making its collective resources available to other
organisations that are engaged in projects that are
apposite to the aims and objectives of the Institute
The Relationship between partners of the Institute and
the Institute itself
The Brisbane Institute contributes its member’s personal
and collective expertise and utilises its combined
extensive professional networks as necessary to carry
out strengths based projects. In addition, the Institute
has already built collaborative relationships with
various international teaching institutes such as the
National Institute for Small Industry Extension Training
(NISIET), Hyderabad, and the Bala Vikasa Social Service
Society and aid agencies and programs, including Oxfam,
AUSAID and AYAD (Australian Youth Ambassadors Abroad);
National Institute of Social Development, Colombo, Sri
Lanka; and Centre for Strengths based Strategies,
Michigan, USA.
These collaborative relationships have been possible due
to either the visits of our Members to these institutes
or through previous active partnership. Generally these
are through a memorandum of understanding (MOU)
developed and formalised and signed in some cases as it
was important for partnering organisation to have
something confirmed for themselves.
Since the resources available to partners reside in two
or more organisations projects are undertaken in a
collaborative manner with joint ownership and pooling of
available resources. Responsibility charter will be
drafted and exchanged. The key to collaborative
partnership is communication. Even if one Brisbane
Institute member is in charge of the project
partnerships a couple of others provide professional
advise, mentoring and or advice and therefore all
communications are transparently seen and read. Where
culture specific advice is needed to increase the
understanding and deeper appreciation of issues by the
Brisbane institute a number of multi cultural resources
including consultants are resourced within Australia and
also abroad.
It is quite possible that major facilitator can also be
found and nominated in the partnering agency and the
Brisbane Institute would discuss this well in advance of
partnerships.
External partnerships therefore must realise that there
are times and when the Brisbane Institute will greatly
rely on external project partnering organisations to
contribute fiscal, and personnel resources where needed
. This become particularly important as the Brisbane
Institute depends upon the good will of its members and
does not have a paid secretariat currently.
Projects undertaken by the Institute are regularly
discussed and monitored by all members of the Institute
throughout the project’s life.
How to apply to the Institute for partnership (detailed
proposals about partnership)
There are no formal procedures for presenting a proposal
for partnership with the Brisbane Institute. Proposals
accepted by the Institute usually begin quite informally
with an expression of interest, a series of dialogues or
finding and meeting a member of the institute. Potential
partnerships are discussed as we proceed in developing
them and are often presented in their draft nature to
Brisbane Institute’s board of directors.
There are “ground rules” however, particularly with
regard to financial investment by the Institute and all
partnerships must understand that:
·
Fiscal Liabilities of all partnerships other than in
Australia remain solely with the partnering agencies
·
Internal and external audits pertaining to monies
invested in the project partnerships are to be dealt
with in partnering countries.
This means that all projects presented to the Institute
for partnership must be financially viable without
direct financial investment by the Institute. The
Institute may use its own resources or source and apply
for grants to assist its members or associates to
participate in particular projects but in general it
will not directly contribute funds to any partner for
any project in which it collaborates.
Further Information
For further information about the Institute, its members
or its project collaborations, please contact the
President or the Secretary. Details are provided below.
President:
Dr. Venkat Pulla
5 Mandell Close
Coopers Plains Qld 4108
Tel:0061-422345982
E-mail: dr.venkat.pulla@gmail.com
Secretary:
Mr Chris Montgomery
16 Ashgrove Street
Coalfalls Qld 4305
Tel: 0061-421974188
E-mail: montgchris@gmail.com
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